Which algorithm typically performs best for searching in a sorted data set?

Binary search is the algorithm that typically performs best for searching in a sorted data set. This is because binary search takes advantage of the sorted nature of the dataset. It works by dividing the search interval in half repeatedly. Initially, it compares the target value to the middle element of the array. If the target value is equal to the middle element, the search is complete. If the target is less than the middle element, the search continues in the lower half of the dataset; if it is greater, the search continues in the upper half.

This divide-and-conquer approach significantly reduces the number of comparisons needed to find the target value, achieving a time complexity of O(log n). In contrast, linear search, which examines each element in sequence, has a time complexity of O(n). Therefore, for sorted datasets, binary search is far more efficient.

Bubble sort and selection sort are sorting algorithms rather than search algorithms. Their primary function is to arrange data rather than to search within it, which is why they are irrelevant in the context of the question.